Healing
by Krayla Pipher
Summary: How will Renji help Ichigo after the boy's family is brutally killed by Aizen. Please R&R. *better summary to come*
1. Chapter 1

Healing  
Chapter One

Ichigo pulled the pillow over his head as he tried to drown out the insistent knocking at his front door. _'They'll go away.'_ He thought as clenched it fingers tight into the pillow. _'Eventually they'll go away.'_

How dare anyone come to see him, now of all times. Didn't anyone care that he was suffering right now? Didn't anyone care that he just wanted to be left alone?

He growled angrily into the mattress as the knocking continued. _'Go away. Just go away!'_ he screamed in his head; each knock was like a sledge hammer to his brain. "God damn it! Go away! No one lives here anymore!" The sentence echoed in his head as he began to sob uncontrollably; the mattress soaking up his tears.

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"Ichigo! Ichigo, answer the damn door!" Renji screamed as he pounded on the door. "Damn it! What the hell is he doing in there?" Renji ceased beating the door and clenched his fists in frustration. "Fine, guess I'll just let myself in."

He kicked the door until it flung open on the third try. He looked around the empty first floor for any sign of the orange haired shinigami but it was deathly quite, _'No pun indented.'_ He stood next to the table, where four chairs rested untouched. Renji frowned and lightly touched one of the chairs.

As he stood in the silence of the house, a sound suddenly reached his ears. It was soft and muffled, but it was defiantly there. Renji ran to the stairs and bolted up them as he heard the sound getting louder as he ascended to the upper level of the house.

He stood outside the substitute shinigami's bedroom door, just listening to him cry. Even though Renji wasn't trying to hide himself, Ichigo had no idea that Renji was in the house, _'If he did, he wouldn't be crying right now. He would be out here yelling at me or something.'_

Renji opened the door and silently walked half way into the teenager's room. He watched the figure under the pillow and blanket shake and fight for breath just to lose it once more as tears freely flowed and were eaten by the fabric below him.

Renji inched closer and was shocked when he was able to kneel next to the bed without arousing the teen at all. He placed a hand on Ichigo's shoulder which made him jump and cease his tears immediately.

Ichigo sat up quickly and slapped Renji's hand away from him, staring at the red haired shinigami with a mix of anger and shock. "Wh. . .What are you doing here?!" he demanded from the man on his floor.

Renji frowned again and stood up to sit on the bed, "Ichigo." He said softly as he tried to reach for the youth.

"Don't touch me!" Ichigo shouted and swung his arms wildly knocking the unbalanced fukutaichou back to the floor. Ichigo jumped from his bed and advanced on Renji. "Answer me! What are you doing here?!"

Renji got to his feet quickly and worked to get some distance between him and the delusional teen. "Ichigo relax. I'm here to help. We were all worried about you, so I volunteered to come and check up on you." He explained quickly. _'It's a good thing I did. You've totally gone off the deep end my friend.'_

Ichigo bowed his head, but his hands were still clenched tight. "I want you out," he said in a low quite voice. He clenched his fists even tighter so that his knuckles were white. "Get out!" He shouted and raised his fist to strike Renji in his blind rage.

Renji recoiled and brought up his arms to block the attack, but as he was doing so he saw the boy's eyes flash wide for a moment, then close._'Uh oh,'_ he thought as he rushed to catch the boy before he hit the floor.

Renji gently lowered Ichigo to the floor letting his head rest on his lap. He moved some hair that was stuck to Ichigo's forehead with a fine layer of sweat and frowned when his hand brushed against his skin._'He's got a fever, and a high one at that. Ichigo, what have you done to yourself?'_

He gathered the sleeping youth in his arms and placed him between the sheets once more. He checked Ichigo's breathing and pulse; they were fast, but they were leveling out quickly. He retired to the kitchen where he retrieved a damp cloth and a glass of water. He was relieved to see Ichigo just as he had left him. _'He needs to rest,'_ he thought as he placed the cool cloth on his forehead. He shifted slightly but remained asleep.

Renji sighed and pulled Ichigo's desk chair next to his bed. He placed the glass of water on the nightstand after taking a sip from it._'This is going to be a long night,'_ he shook his head and rubbed his eyes. Before he knew it, Renji was fast asleep in the chair next to the orange haired youth.

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PS. I own nothing. This is purely fanmade! Thank you.  



	2. Chapter 2

Healing  
Chapter Two

_"What's the matter Kurosaki? Aren't you going to save your precious little sister?" Aizen cooed evilly as he held Karin off the ground by her neck. Yuzu and his father all ready lifeless on the floor between them._

_Ichigo stared wide eyed and tried to advance but each time he would be driven back by Aizen tightening his grip and making Karin gasp painfully for air. He would step back and the Shinigami would release his grip just enough for her to breathe again. "Pl. . .please. Let her go!"_

_Aizen chuckled, "Now where's the fun in that?"_

_Ichigo clenched his fists so tight that his knuckles turned white, "If you want me dead then kill me, just please leave them alone! They have nothing to do with this!"_

_Aizen glared at him, "Now, whoever said I wanted to kill you, Kurosaki? I don't want to kill you, I want to break you!" Without warning he snapped Karin's neck in one sickening crack and let her limp form fall from his grasp to her sister and father below. _

_Ichigo's heart shattered. He stared wide eyed at his family beaten and broken at his feet. He tried to move towards them, but his legs would not obey his commands and he ended up on his hands and knees unable to keep the tears at bay any longer. _

_Aizen snickered, "That's it Kurosaki. I've taken your girlfriend and now your family. It was all to get to you. You are the reason that they are dead. It's all your fault. And now I will use your pretty little girlfriend to destroy this world, Seiretei and you." _

_"Kurosaki!" Hitsugaya called out as he entered the house with Renji, Rukia, Matsumoto and Hanatarou. They all stared in horror as they entered the living room and saw the gifted family on the floor; three dead and one wishing he could join them. Hitsugaya clenched his hand tightly over his Zanpakutou as he glared dangerously at the traitorous shinigami. "Aizen! How dare you!"_

_Aizen chuckled and clicked his tongue in a disappointing manner. "Late once again, Hitsugaya-taichou." He cooed._

_Hitsugaya charged Aizen, but only sliced through air as the shinigami disappeared back into Hueco Mundo. His laughter echoed throughout the house and Ichigo's blank mind._

_Hitsugaya angrily sheathed his sword and turned back to Ichigo and his entire world beaten and bloody on the floor before him. His anger quickly turned to sorrow for the broken youth before him. _

_As Hanatarou and Rukia check on Ichigo's family; though they knew they were all dead, Renji kneeled next to Ichigo and tried to snap him out of his trance. "Oi," he said softly as he waved his hand before the young boy's face, but he didn't get any response. "Ichigo. . ."_

_"Leave him, Abarai-kun." Hitsugaya ordered as he walked towards the group. "He's gone for the moment. Let's take him to Urahara-san's shop and we'll figure out what to do from there."_

_"Ano. . .what about his family?" Hanatarou asked nervously, kneeling next to Yuzu. _

_The young captain sighed heavily before answering in a resigned and seemingly cold manner, "Leave them. They're just shells now. We'll come back to escort their souls to Soul Society, but right now we have to tend to Kurosaki-kun." He answered and was all ready on his way to Kisuke's shoten to avoid any resistance from the other shinigami._

_The shinigami exchanged shocked glances between them, but they did as they were told. Renji sighed and lifted Ichigo's arm over his shoulders. "Come on Ichigo," he said softly as he lifted the non-responsive teen to his legs. "Everything's gonna be all right."_

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WOW! I can't believe how quickly this story became so popular! Thanks everyone! Here's part 2, and I'm working on part 3. Enjoy! 3  
PS. I own nothing. This is purely fanmade! 


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